Touka woke up in a place he didn't recognize, his head throbbing relentlessly. Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, cutting through the lingering morning mist. His body felt heavy and sore, but there was something far more unsettling—an aching, pulsing sensation deep within him. The parasite was still there, hidden inside him, like a creature waiting for its moment to rise again.
Sitting on the hard ground, he winced as he tried to move. Every muscle felt stiff, as if his body hadn't fully recovered from the brutal transformation he had just endured. With trembling hands, he reached for the phone lying beside him. The headline on the screen hit him like a punch to the gut:
"City Destroyed in Omnivorax Attack!"
His head spun, but the truth was even worse. The Omnivorax that had been destroyed last night—was him. Touka switched off his phone and shoved it into his pocket. His steps were heavy, his body drained, and his mind hollow. The world he had once known had been shattered, taking everyone he had cared for with it.
As he walked toward the quieter parts of the city, his eyes landed on an old man. Sitting in the dim corner of the street, he wore a tattered hooded cloak, his frail body slumped, but his gaze sharp—too sharp for someone who should have been weak. There was something about him that made Touka stop and stare, transfixed.
"Hey, something wrong?" the old man asked, his piercing eyes settling on a small scar on Touka's shoulder—barely noticeable to most, but clear to someone familiar with danger.
Touka stiffened but kept his distance. "Why? What do you know?"
The man gave a faint smile. "That scar… it's not just any mark. It's a sign that something far greater resides within you." He paused, lowering his gaze before locking eyes with Touka again. "I know what happened to you."
A tense chill ran through Touka. "What do you mean?" he whispered.
The old man took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to reveal something grim. "I was once a researcher… a researcher of the Omnivorax. All of this—the creatures, the parasites, the destruction—it's all part of their grand design." He paused, studying Touka's face as if gauging whether he was ready to hear the truth.
Touka felt it. A heavy, terrifying truth hid behind the man's words—like someone who had seen too much and was ready to unload the burden.
"What's really going on?" Touka asked, his voice trembling with fear.
"Omnivorax... they're not from this world. They came from another planet, with one goal—to conquer Earth. The parasite inside you—that's no accident. Every Omnivorax that first arrived on Earth carried a parasite, designed to flatten the world as they saw fit." The old man raised his hand, pointing to the sky as if to emphasize the enormity of the threat.
Touka's chest tightened. "So this parasite… it's been here since the Omnivorax first arrived?"
He nodded. "Yes. These parasites have been here for 15 years. Whenever an Omnivorax dies, their parasite seeks a new host. They don't just feed on flesh or blood—they live within humans, evolving and waiting for their moment to rise." The old man furrowed his brow. "The parasite inside you… it may be one of the last remaining on Earth. Most of them were destroyed or studied a decade ago."
A cold shiver ran down Touka's spine. "Is there... any way to remove it?" he asked, his voice strained.
The old man shook his head. "If you try to expel it, your body will be torn apart. They've fused with you now. You can't live without them." His eyes were filled with sympathy and unease. "But if you learn to control it, there might still be hope."
Touka fell silent, his mind racing with questions. Was this his fate? To live like this forever?
Suddenly, a distant rumble broke the stillness. The old man froze, then bolted toward the noise. "You need to see this," he said. "Another Omnivorax. It's not fully destroyed. We have to stop it before it's too late."
Without warning, the rumbling grew louder. Something massive was approaching, tearing through everything in its path.
Touka's instincts kicked in, and the parasite's voice echoed in his mind: "Use me. Draw your blood. If you don't, we'll die."
The growing roar sent his heart racing. Panic overtook him. Something vast, malevolent, and unstoppable was closing in.
The old man, calm moments ago, now appeared frantic. "We have to move! If we stay here, we'll be crushed!"
But Touka's body refused to move, as if something was holding him back. The parasite's voice grew louder, more insistent. "Use me… draw your blood… or we'll die. You have no choice!"
Every second felt like an eternity. The parasite surged within him, urging him to let go of control. Heat rippled under his skin, his body trembling. The parasite's power swelled, like a wave threatening to drown him.
"Damn it..." he muttered, his voice low, frustration bubbling over. His mind raced for a solution, but nothing came to him. With a grimace, he pulled a small knife from his pocket, its cold steel gleaming under the dim light. Without hesitation, he pressed the blade to his palm and sliced deep. Blood welled up, hot and fresh, dripping onto the ground beneath him.
The moment his blood touched the earth, something stirred inside him—something primal, something ancient. A violent surge of power flooded his veins, tearing through his muscles and filling every fiber of his being with a blinding energy. His body trembled as his senses sharpened, and before he could even think, his legs were lifting him from the ground, his body soaring with unnatural speed.
The old man's eyes widened in shock, but there was a quiet understanding behind them. "Are you ready to face it?" His voice cracked, betraying his fear, but he didn't move. He knew what he had to do.
Touka's lips pressed together into a thin line. "I don't have a choice."
With a guttural growl, he dashed toward the massive Omnivorax. The ground quaked beneath the beast's steps, but Touka's focus was absolute. In one fluid motion, he ducked beneath its crushing claw, the earth splintering beneath him as it struck the spot where he had stood a second before. He moved like lightning, climbing onto the back of the monster with a predator's grace.
-----
His claws—no longer human—glowed with the toxic energy of the parasite, thrumming with life as they sank into the Omnivorax's thick hide. Black blood spurted from the deep gashes with every strike, the creature shrieking in pain, but it was futile. The beast thrashed, trying to dislodge him, but Touka held on with a ferocity born of desperation. The power inside him had no mercy, no hesitation. He wasn't just fighting for survival—he was unleashing a fury that only the parasite could harness.
His strikes came faster, harder, each one rending the creature's flesh with inhuman precision. He was no longer a human man fighting a monster; he was something far more dangerous. The Omnivorax roared once more before its massive body collapsed under its own weight, dropping to its knees with a deafening crash.
Breathing heavily, Touka felt his body tremble—not with fatigue, but with the leftover adrenaline coursing through his veins. The beast was done. He raised his claws, ready to deliver the final, fatal strike—
But the sound of approaching footsteps and the hum of engines shattered the moment.
Touka whipped around, his heart leaping into his throat. A squad of Aether Corps soldiers had arrived, their guns leveled at him and the dying Omnivorax.
"What happened here?" one of them asked, his voice flat, though his eyes betrayed confusion and shock as they took in the grotesque scene.
Touka's gaze flicked to Shina, the soldier at the front of the group, whose eyes were locked on the dying beast with an unsettling intensity. Shina's sharp gaze flickered between the two creatures, then narrowed, her lips curling in a frown. "Why… are they fighting each other?" she murmured, her voice filled with disbelief.
Before anyone could answer, one of the soldiers barked, "Kill them both now, before they attack us!"
Touka's pulse thundered in his ears, the parasite inside him roaring in a frenzy. "They'll attack us. Fight back, or we die." The command was simple, brutal, and unrelenting.
"Shut up!" Touka hissed, his breath quickening as he tried to focus, but the chaos around him was overwhelming. There were too many soldiers. Too many voices. He couldn't think clearly.
But Shina was still watching, her eyes narrowing, as if sensing something wasn't right. She raised her hand, halting the soldiers with a curt command. "Wait."
Touka felt his pulse spike. He knew what was coming. The realization hit him like a freight train: he couldn't stay here. He couldn't be caught.
With a primal scream, he launched himself from the dying Omnivorax's back, his body twisting midair as he vanished into the darkened streets of the city.
"After him!" Shina barked, but her voice held an undertone of uncertainty. There was something wrong about all of this. Something beyond what they understood.
Once the dust settled, Shina approached the fallen beast, her boots crunching over the shattered ground. Her eyes were drawn to the claw marks on its body, the way they cut into the flesh. Too clean. Too deliberate. "This wasn't a wild attack," she murmured to herself. "This… this isn't an ordinary Omnivorax."
Activating her comms, she spoke in a low, measured tone. "We have a new problem. There's something else out there."
---
Touka ran as fast as he could, his claws tearing through the ground and the crumbling walls as he leaped over the ruins. His breathing was ragged, not from physical exhaustion but from the battle raging within him.
"Fight them, you idiot, or we'll die!" the parasite's voice echoed in his mind, forcing his body to move relentlessly.
Gritting his teeth, Touka fought to maintain control. "I don't need you telling me what to do…" he muttered, though the voice grew louder, pressing against his consciousness.
The heavy footsteps of the Aether Corps drew closer, their warning shots blasting into the walls around him. He darted into the shadows of an old, decrepit building, dodging the barrage of firepower.
Blood dripped from his wounds, but the parasite sped up his regeneration. The cuts closed quickly, but it brought an unbearable pain that made his muscles twitch. A deep hunger gnawed at his mind, making his body tremble.
"Not now," he whispered to himself, trying to stay grounded. "I won't let them catch me like this."
As he approached the back of the darkened hallway, he paused momentarily. A flash of Kurogane's face crossed his mind—the old man who had trusted Touka with his life not long ago.
Before he could dwell on it, the sound of heavy boots echoed from both directions. He was trapped. Ahead of him, two Aether Corps members appeared with weapons raised. Behind him, Shina stood, her sword gleaming in the dim light, her eyes sharp and focused.
"There's no way out," one of the soldiers said, his voice firm. "Surrender now."
Touka's body shook, not with fear, but as the parasite fought for dominance. His hands clenched into fists, his claws digging into the walls, producing a sharp screeching sound.
"No… I won't surrender!"
With a guttural roar, the parasite seized control entirely. Touka's body surged forward with incredible speed, weaving through the soldiers' line of fire. In a heartbeat, he leaped off the wall, crashing through the opening at the back of the building and into the night.
Shina remained still, her grip tightening on her blade. Once again, the creature had escaped, leaving behind more questions than answers. Her gaze settled on the claw marks left in the wall—lines that didn't just speak of brute strength but also an eerie precision.
"Did you see that?" one of the soldiers asked, still catching his breath.
Shina didn't respond. Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts. That creature wasn't like the other Omnivorax. The way it moved, the way it fought, and even the way it decided to flee—it all felt… too human.